8 Game Boy and GBA Titles, High-Speed Mode, and Online Battles: Medabots Classics Plus Launches on PC via Steam in December
Six years after its Nintendo Switch debut in Japan, the handheld anthology from publisher Imagineer and developer SUCCESS Corporation is officially making the jump to PC. Scheduled to launch in December 2026 in Japan for PC via Steam, Medabots Classics Plus (known locally as Medarot Classics Plus) brings together eight foundational entries originally released between 1997 and 2002 across the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance.
Separate Kabuto and Kuwagata Editions Priced at 5,478 Yen on Steam
Staying true to the dual-version tradition the franchise established in the late 1990s to encourage part swapping between players, Imagineer is releasing the PC port in two standalone editions on Valve's storefront: Kabuto Ver. (headlined by the projectile-focused Metabee) and Kuwagata Ver. (centered around the melee specialist Rokusho). Each version will retail for 5,478 yen (roughly $36 USD).
This Steam release expands the preservation effort that began in late 2017 on the Nintendo 3DS with the original five-game compilation, before growing into an eight-game package on Nintendo Switch in November 2020. Bringing these handheld entries to PC marks another welcome step for classic Japanese portable preservation, echoing the recent revival of the lost Game Boy Advance GPS JRPG Navinosuke for Switch and PC.
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All 8 Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and GBA Games Included
Both versions of Medabots Classics Plus bundle the first five numbered mainline RPGs from the 8-bit era alongside three 32-bit Game Boy Advance titles, spanning turn-based RPGs, tactical grid-based combat, and real-time arena action:
- Medabots (Game Boy, 1997) - The original RPG where Hikaru Agata and his dog stumble upon a rare Medal after clashing with the nefarious Roborobo Gang.
- Medabots 2 (Game Boy Color, 1999) - The RPG sequel set seven years later that introduces iconic protagonist Ikki Tenryou.
- Medabots 3 (Game Boy Color, 2000) - Continues Ikki's journey in Omikuji Town as a new robotic conspiracy unfolds.
- Medabots 4 (Game Boy Color, 2001) - The culmination of Ikki's 8-bit arc as he pursues the prestigious title of "Medamaster" under a newly arrived teacher.
- Medabots 5: Susutake Mura no Tenkousei (Game Boy Color, 2001) - Introduces transfer student Koishimaru in the rural setting of Susutake Village.
- Medabots Navi (Game Boy Advance, 2001) - A tactical strategy RPG starring middle-schooler Kasumi inside an abandoned school building linked to a space station.
- Medabots G (Game Boy Advance, 2002) - A fast-paced 2D arena action spin-off where Koishimaru competes in a tournament at the Densuke Land amusement park.
- Medabots Two: CORE (Game Boy Advance, 2002) - A full GBA remake of Medabots 2 featuring overhauled sprites, refined battle mechanics, and new story events (and the only RPG in this lineup previously localized in English by Natsume in 2003).
Up to 8x High-Speed Mode, Robattle Skip, and Cross-Version Online Trading
To smooth out the heavy grinding of late-90s portable RPGs, SUCCESS Corporation carries over every quality-of-life upgrade introduced in the Switch release. Players can save and load states anywhere at any time, toggle a high-speed mode up to 8x, enable rapid-fire inputs for mini-games, or bypass standard encounters entirely using the Robattle Skip function.
Crucially, the PC port retains full online multiplayer battles and part trading over the internet, with full cross-version compatibility between owners of Kabuto Ver. and Kuwagata Ver. System requirements on Windows 10 and Windows 11 are remarkably light, asking for just an Intel Core i3-4160 processor, 8 GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4400 (or a GeForce GTX 1050 recommended), and 3 GB of storage. Much like other classic handheld revivals alongside Mole Mania and classic Game Boy releases, the Steam store listings currently confirm Japanese language support only.
My Take
Tracking Japanese retro preservation from my desk here in Quebec City, I view this Steam port as a milestone that goes far beyond a routine catalog re-release. For nearly three decades, the core Medabots RPG lineage remained locked to Nintendo handheld cartridges whose complete-in-box import prices have climbed steadily over the years. While the lack of official English localization on the Steam store page will naturally deter casual newcomers, bringing all eight games natively to Windows changes the preservation landscape completely. Between effortless online part trading without link cables and the accessibility of the PC ecosystem for dedicated community translation patchers, this is the cleanest gateway the series has ever had outside Japan.
SEO consultant for over 20 years and digital entrepreneur, Charles "Grimtag" is the founder of Pro-Gamer.gg, Retrocharting.com, and Gamescharting.com. A competitive gamer, streamer, and retro game collector, he has worked in the video game industry for over 15 years, notably as a consultant for leading game price comparison platforms. Passionate about real-time performance data and gaming technology, he analyzes competitive esports, gaming hardware benchmarks, and creator workflows on Pro-Gamer.gg with an authentic player perspective.
